THREE

.

Kato woke with a jerk. He blinked at the ceiling, noticing the patch of peeling paint had made more headway across the plaster just a fraction. Sighing, he rolled onto his side, about to reach for his phone. Finding the room much brighter than it ought to be, he sat up and looked around.

He saw traffic moving around behind the thin curtains, heard people on the pavement a floor below, and realised something was very wrong. He reached over and snatched up his phone, pressing the Home button but finding it would not wake. Shaking it only brought to his attention the fact that the used and abused power cable was still plugged in. Following it back to the wall socket, he found the exposed wires of the damaged cable were lying in a pool of water that had seeped from the underside of the refrigerator sometime after he had given up and gone to sleep. He dropped the phone quickly, and then realised the clock on the table was also powerless.

Slapping a hand over his face, he yanked back the blankets and threw his legs over the side of the bed.

It took him ten minutes to find that no amount of searching would yield a fusebox, twenty minutes to get washed, shaved and dressed without the aid of electric, and two seconds to decide it was about time he got a new phone charging cable.

Or maybe just a better refrigerator.

.


.

Charlie looked up from the laptop, a smile on his face. "Boss! Booooss!"

The door opened and Sapphire poked her head in. "What?"

"Your media guy - he's sent through everything they have on the Green Hornet - there's tonnes of photos and articles here."

"Who says he's a guy?" she smiled, walking in and over to the desk. He scooted the chair to one side and she bent down to look at the screen. "Whoa. You weren't kidding."

"You want I should transfer all this to the other laptop and start sorting it into useful stuff?"

"Absolutely." She straightened up, standing back to allow him room to work. "Let me know if there's any clue there to his real identity - or where he keeps his car."

"Yes boss."

.


.

"I don't know yet," Britt said, waving his hands up in surrender. "Look, all I know is, he dropped me back last night and I guess he went home. I have no idea where he is now."

Lenore folded her arms. "Well his phone won't connect either. Have you even tried it?"

"I have not. It's…" He looked at his watch. "It's not even eleven o'clock! Give the poor guy a break! Jeez - maybe he's just lying in!"

"Kato doesn't lie in," Lenore said, biting her lip in worry. "He's always up by just after six and he's always on his way somewhere."

"How do you even know that?" Britt cried. "Wait - is he trying to date you again? That little—"

"No he isn't," she said. "Not that it's any of your business. We text each other, ok? As friends. And no matter what time I text him overnight - when he's not out in the car with you - he only reads it at after six in the morning. And he's always on his way to a gym or a coffee place with wi-fi."

"He doesn't even have wi-fi at home?" Britt gasped in horror. "That's inhumane."

"It keeps crapping out on him. We don't all live in mansions." She turned to go.

"Hey," he protested, his hands out in surrender. She stopped and looked back at him with guilt slowly spreading across her face. "Look…" Britt began. "I put him on a proper salary, ok? To make this whole Executive Assistant thing look legit - which it is. It's up to him what he does with his money, right? That's none of my business, either."

"Sorry." She went to the door. "If you hear from him, let me know, ok? If it was anyone else I would think he just overslept. But… with you two he could have been attacked or snatched or… anything."

Britt's eyes widened. He shot to his feet. "Get us a cab. We're going to his place to check on him."

She nodded and opened the door - to find a very surprised Kato with his hand out, about to open the other side. "Kato!" she gasped.

"Hi," he managed, walking past her into the small office. Lenore closed the door again.

"Where were you, man? We were really worried!" Britt cried.

"Power cut," Kato shrugged. "My phone and my clock are dead, so… no alarm." He scratched his head. "And I just didn't wake up at six. I always wake up at six, but… this morning I didn't."

Lenore rolled her eyes. "We were really worried something had happened to you," she hissed, keeping her volume low. "Like happened."

"I'm ok," he said, his hands out for calm. "Really, just a power cut."

"A power cut," Britt said, sagging back into his chair. "What like, the whole block is out again?" He looked at Lenore. "You said Cali could pay its electric bill this year."

"It can," she said. "And it can't be the whole block, it wasn't on the news."

"I think it's just me," Kato shrugged. "Can I charge my phone in here?"

"You haven't seen your messages?" Lenore asked casually.

He pulled the phone from his pocket to shake it meaningfully. "It's dead. Nothing."

"Then… leave it to charge in here for now. And I need some coffee, so… do you want one?" she asked politely.

"I need something," he allowed.

Britt put his hand out and took the phone, connecting it to one of the many chargers he seemed to have plugged into the thick electric cable lying on the nearest corner of the filing cabinets to his right. "Go, dude. I'll let you know when it's got some juice." He set the phone on the desk next to him.

"Thanks." Kato followed Lenore out of the small room. She closed the door and folded her arm through his, pulling him away quickly and heading for the tiny coffee-making area. He let himself be guided, bewildered enough to follow where he was led.

She pulled him round the side of the partition and then stood him straight. "I've told you before - just because you can wake up at six every day, doesn't mean you don't need more sleep. Maybe that's why you slept in till… What time did you wake up?"

"Nearly ten," he said guiltily.

"See?" She shook her head as she pulled her phone out of her handbag. "Anyway - about the party. I have a plan."

"You do? Britt's already told you everything?"

"He didn't need to - and you know he wouldn't," she sighed. "Anyway, I've got it all figured out. Just pick something to wear from the email I sent you and be ready. I'll have everything else arranged. And don't worry - she won't know I'm helping you."

Kato put a hand to her arm. "See? I said you should do all the plans," he grinned. She giggled and he let her go. He stepped back and his head darted left, round the partition surreptitiously, to check the wooden door was still shut. "Have you told Britt?"

"Why would I tell Britt? You know he can't handle these things like an adult."

Kato grinned at her. "Ok. So… I have to wait for my phone to charge, then try to get someone to fix the icebox in my apartment."

She shook her head. "No no no. You leave it to me and I'll get you a new icebox - and your electric fixed."

"I don't want a new icebox, I just want—"

"Well you can't have it leaking all over the place. What if next time it causes like a fire or something?"

"But I can't have a—"

"Kato—"

"No new one! I can't have a new one."

"Sshh!" she ordered, one finger up in command. "Leave it to me. I'll get someone to take away that crappy old refrigerator and get you a new one."

"You don't have to—"

"Too late," she said, almost sing-song, as she tapped something into her phone.

"You… You are a superhero," Kato said quietly. "Your super power is organising things."

"Thanks," she smiled. "Now you have to go down to the ground floor - the break room - and get coffee from the machine. You've missed her nine o'clock but…" She looked at her watch. "Eleven - quick! Go now!" She straightened his suit jacket, spun him round, and pushed.

He just went, not quite sure what was happening but willing to go with the flow.

.


.

Amy walked into the room, heading for the sink and rinsing her coffee mug out. She picked up the dishwashing scourer and gave it a good scrub before rinsing it again. She went to the machine in the corner and, for perhaps the fiftieth time, tried to work out how to get something drinkable from it.

Someone else entered the break room but she didn't turn, just folded her arms and read the instructions on the front of the machine all over again.

"Do you need some help?" said a voice.

She turned to find a black suit standing three feet behind her. Her mouth went dry.

Kato's head tilted to one side as he wagged a finger at her. "Uh… Amy, right? From the elevator."

"Yes, Mr Kato," she blinked.

He gave a dismissive wave. "Just Kato." His eyes slid off her sudden smile to the machine in front of her. "Is it broken?"

"Oh no. I'm just really bad with this thing. I've never had one - I don't know how they work. I've tried following the instructions but I just seem to make a mess. Or at least, not decent coffee."

"I can do it," he shrugged. "I know a little bit about coffee machines."

"Really?"

He offered her a friendly smile and she stood back, watching him. He bent slightly to read the instructions, then frowned.

"Everything… ok?" she wondered.

He pointed to the text. "Big words in English. My weakness."

She giggled and he picked up a cup, flipping it round his finger deftly to set it on the pad. She watched him open up scoops, replace ground coffee, set up milk and all kinds of extras.

He looked at her. "How do you want it?"

"Ex...cuse me?" she swallowed.

"Your coffee?"

"Oh - oh yes. Uh - black, please. No sugar. —But maybe how they do it in restaurants so they get kind of frothy mocha just around the rim."

He nodded. "Easy." He pressed at buttons and manipulated scoops, and before she knew it, he was lifting the cup from the pad and handing it to her.

She took the handle gratefully. "Wow," she managed. "I guess you do know a little bit about coffee machines."

"A little," he shrugged, with a small smile.

"Uh, Mr Kato, I was wondering—"

"Just Kato."

"Oh. I was wondering if… Well I know this is forward of me and we literally only just met but… that is, if you're not busy, and… if you're already going anyway, then…" She smelt her coffee trying to grab her attention but bravely ignored it. "Well… Are you going to the work party on Friday?"

"Maybe." He looked at his feet. "It's a works thing and I'm an EA, so…"

"Oh. Because… I was hoping that…" She swallowed as he looked back at her. "Well… would you consider going with me?"

He twisted to check over his shoulder quickly - finding only an innocent wall - before he turned back to her. "Me?" he asked, waving a finger at his face.

She nodded.

"Me?" he repeated, sounding very critical. "Go with you?"

"Or… not," she said quickly. "I mean, I know you must already have like a supermodel to go with and everything—"

"Yes."

"Yes, see? I knew you would," she sighed.

"No - yes, yes I could - uh - go… with you. If you… wanted," he offered, every ounce of effort going into appearing effortless.

"Really?" she managed.

"If you want to."

She grinned. "I would love to."

"Ok then." He paused. "Uh… I can pick you up, or…?"

"Oh, yes, ok," she giggled. "I hadn't really thought this through. —I mean I thought you'd say no."

He frowned, mystified. "Why would I say no?"

"Oh you're cute," she breathed.

He smiled and straightened up, apparently well pleased.

She giggled again. "Oh - my number. I'll give you my number and then you can text me - I'll send you my address."

"Ok," he said, patting down his suit pockets, "but I only have a motorbike."

"Of course you do," she sighed in complete satisfaction.

"Oh - uh - my phone is upstairs. Charging." He pulled the notebook and pen from his top pocket. "Here."

She handed him her coffee, then proceeded to flip through pages to find a blank one. "Wow - did you draw all these?"

"Just playing," he mumbled.

She smiled and found an empty page, writing her number on it. She added her name underneath. "There. The party starts at eight. What time should we arrive?"

"Definitely fifteen minutes late," he smiled. "I come for you at eight?"

"Yes please," she said. "And the party afterwards," she winked.

He nodded, and she very clearly saw her double entendre fly about three feet over his head.

She handed him back the notepad and pen, and he offered her the coffee. As he checked the page and slipped it back in his pocket, she curled hair around her ear. "Ok, so… bye."

"See you later," he nodded, giving her a small, somewhat awkward wave.

"Message me." She twirled out of the room clutching her coffee mug, leaving him to walk back to the coffee machine.

He nodded to himself, then took a deep breath and let it out with a satisfied grin. The fingers of both hands snapped themselves in victory, leaving his index fingers to point at the machine for a moment. He began to whistle to himself as he found clean coffee cups.

.


.

Kato carried the two cups of coffee back to Britt's tiny room, closing the door softly with his foot and handing one to the seated man.

"Thanks—. You didn't have to do that," Britt said, with distinct discomfort. "You're not supposed to be the coffee boy, remember?"

"I already made one for me," Kato shrugged. "What about the party?" He leant against the wall, sipping his drink.

"Well I've just chased up on our invitation to the DA, but I think I should go pay her a visit in her new office - make sure she's coming, right? Otherwise this whole thing will be for nothing."

"The employees don't know that. They think it's for them."

"And it is… sort of." He picked up Kato's phone, tilting it up. "Twenty percent charged. You want it?"

"It can wait an hour."

"You sure? It's been lighting up every two seconds since it got enough power back."

Kato came round the desk and took it, being careful not to pull the charging cable out. He set his coffee on the filing cabinet next to him to save his burning fingers as he unlocked the phone and scrolled through messages. Smiling faintly, dismissing or scrolling, he was totally unaware that Britt was watching him as if hoping for news on a sports score.

"Well?" Britt asked.

"What?" he said hastily, locking the phone again and putting it back.

"Is that your date for the party?"

"No."

"What's she like?"

"Who?"

"Your date."

"She's… nice."

"Is she hot?" Britt grinned. "She's hot, right?"

Kato pulled his suit lapels straight as he jutted his chin out with pride. "She thinks I'm cute."

"You are cute," Britt nodded, wide-eyed. "Just be careful with her, ok? Make sure she's not like a super villain trying to get under your cape."

"I don't have a cape."

"You know what I mean."

Kato tilted his head, thinking. He picked up his coffee, taking a sip. "Ok."

"Anyway. You want to come check out the DA with me?"

"I want to use your laptop. Mine's flat."

"Well knock yourself out," Britt said, getting up from the desk. "It doesn't do porn sites and the works firewall stops you looking at social media for more than ten minutes at a time."

Kato rolled his eyes as Britt finished off his coffee, taking the cup with him toward the door. "Don't tell her you're a masked criminal," he called after him.

Britt chuckled. "At least, not on a first date," he winked. Kato frowned and opened his mouth. "I'm totally joking!" he laughed, opening the door and disappearing out.

Kato watched the door. He waited.

And waited.

Finally satisfied that he was alone, he sat down at the desk and picked up his phone, scrolling back through messages. He re-read the ones from Lenore before he went to the laptop, opening up a browser and logging into his email. He found her email about suits and his eyes skimmed down it.

After twenty minutes of staring at suit styles and using Bing to translate some of her more complex comments, he nodded to himself and made a note of names and shops.

He jumped slightly and slapped his hand to his top pocket, taking out his notebook and flipping to the page Amy had written on. He saved her number to his phone contacts and then sat back, biting his lip. He scrolled through for Lenore and pressed Call.

The line clicked. "Hey. What's up?" she asked.

"Oh - uh - a woman asked me to go to the party with her. I got your email about the clothes, but… what do I do next?"

"Is this Amy?"

"Yes," he blinked, surprised.

Lenore laughed and squealed something down the phone, forcing him to pull it from his ear lest he lose his hearing on a semi-permanent basis. "I knew it! She was talking about you in the elevator and I just knew if I pushed you into her path she'd ask you!"

"You did this?"

"What did she say?"

"She… asked me to go with her. I said yes."

"Excellent!" she gushed. "And then?"

"I offered to pick her up. That's ok, right?"

"What did she say to that?"

"She gave me her cell number - said if I text her she will tell me her address."

"That's perfect!" she grinned. "Oh I'm so happy for you! I spent like an hour on her Facebook feed, checking her connections, her hobbies, trying to find something wrong with her. But she just seems… normal."

"You checked her out?"

"Of course! If she was crazy or was mean to animals or something then I wouldn't let her anywhere near you."

"Uh… thanks."

"So - right. Listen. Here's what you do."

He pulled his notebook back toward him, flipping the pen round his fingers and clicking the end into life. "Ok."

"You pick her up - just be yourself, and not late, ok? When you get to the party, let her talk to her friends and colleagues but don't leave her alone with them."

"Why?"

"She'll feel like she's been deserted - trust me," she said quietly. "Anyway, if you get enough time alone then talk to her about her hobbies."

"What does she like?"

"According to her Facebook account she's into cooking her parents' Portuguese dishes, mountain biking and reading - and she's a big fan of bullet journals."

"Bullets?" he asked, surprised.

"Not like ammo - like a diary," she giggled.

"Ok," he muttered. "What if she asks me about my hobbies?"

"Well… keep it simple. Cars, the gym, artwork, Mahjong, piano…"

"I don't know artwork."

"You sketch cars, schematics, people - you're good." She paused but he didn't answer. She smiled. "Hey. You'll be fine. She already likes you - you just need to talk to her."

"My English isn't that good."

"Your English is fine, Kato. And she'll be patient. Slow down, keep it simple… and if you can't get any words out at all then just smile."

"Then I will be smiling all the time."

She chuckled. "I think she'd like that."

"…Lenore?"

"Yeah?"

He paused, taking a deep breath. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go get yourself a new suit and then you need to be at your apartment for four o'clock."

"Why?"

"You have a new refrigerator being delivered."

"But I don't want a—"

The line clicked. He pulled the phone back and looked at it, before he blinked and put it back on the desk to continue charging.

He logged out of his emails, went to the temp and cookies cashes and emptied them, and powered down the laptop.

Picking up his coffee, he sat back in the chair and let a million thoughts run through his head. He finished his drink, put his notebook and pen back in his top pocket, then checked the amount of charge on his phone before unplugging it and taking it with him out of the small room.

.


.

"Miss Park?" said a voice.

Jennifer Park looked up from her desk, still writing as she did so. She found her PA leaning in the doorway, hanging onto the door handle for balance. "Yes, Martin?"

"Britt Reid is here to see you."

"Oh - the media guy, right?"

"Yes Miss Park."

She nodded. "Show him in - and please don't interrupt us."

"Of course." Martin disappeared from the doorway and another, taller man came through.

"Hey! Here she is! The newest, most awesome DA on the west coast!" he cried with an ebullience she felt across the twelve foot gap.

"Mr Reid, is it?" she said, getting to her feet.

"Hey, call me Britt," he said, advancing on her and putting his hand out.

She shook it as she looked at him, taking in the bright, amused eyes, the expensive suit - and the tiny dinosaurs on his dark green tie. The door to the office closed and she let her hand drop.

"So what can I do for you today?" she asked.

"No no no," he said, standing back and shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's not what you can do for me, DA Park, it's what I can do for you."

Her left eyebrow arched. "What exactly do you mean by that? There are laws against taking money or rewards in kind, you know."

His face dropped. His palms came up in surrender. "Oh no - not like that," he said. "I meant—. Oh I said I'd be good at this." He took a deep breath. "This city has seen some shit, right? I mean drugs busts, the last DA thrown out of a building - it's been nuts. I just think that with a new DA the city needs to see you, right? It needs to see there's someone in charge and they've got this city covered. That person is you, and I want this city to know that."

She let out a small smile. "And of course, get a scoop for your paper."

"Hey, anything you want to tell me for the paper is just business, and really, that's not my thing. I own the beast but I don't edit it. Anything you want to tell me off the record? It's totally off the record, man. I don't even keep notes of what I'm supposed to be doing, you know?"

She folded her arms across her black dress, looking him up and down. "You are not what I expected, Mr Reid."

"Britt, please."

"I met your father a few times. He was… not like you at all."

"Believe me, I know that," he said quietly. "So… are you coming to the party Friday?"

"I wasn't going to… I didn't want to be seen to be on the side of the press. However…" Her head canted to one side. "I think I could swing by."

"Awesome!" he grinned. "Would it look bad if I picked you up?"

She smiled. "I think it will look… like you're extending a courtesy to the new DA." She nodded. "You can pick me up at eight."

He slapped his hands together. "Cool! See you then."

"See you then, Mr Reid."

"Britt!" he called, even as he twirled toward the door. "One day I'll get you to call me Britt!"

She waved him out. He opened the door and was gone.

Her smile slipped. She sat down slowly, turning her chair to the window behind her and looking out over the city.

There was a knock on the door and she sat straighter. "Come in."

Martin poked his head around. "You've had two calls - I've sent them to your emails. Do you need anything?"

She put her elbows on the arms of the chair, steepling her fingers. "Yes. We need to open a new file, Martin."

"On what, Miss Park?"

"On Britt Reid. Something tells me he isn't what he seems."